Random Audiobook Podcasts

The Last Man is an early post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Mary Shelley, which was first published in 1826. The book tells of a future world that has been ravaged by a plague. The plague gradually kills off all people. Lionel Verney, central character, son of a nobleman who gambled himself into poverty, finds himself immune after being attacked by an infected “negro,” and copes with a civilization that is gradually dying out around him.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult, The Last Man

A collection of my favorite short children’s stories and rhymes.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: animals, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, Kayray's Storytime, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Teen/Young adult, various

The novel picks up where Tarzan of the Apes left off. The ape man, feeling rootless in the wake of his noble sacrifice of his prospects of wedding Jane Porter, leaves America for Europe to visit his friend Paul d’Arnot. On the ship he becomes embroiled in the affairs of Countess Olga de Coude, her husband, Count Raoul de Coude, and two shady characters attempting to prey on them, Nikolas Rokoff and his henchman Alexis Paulvitch.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Teen/Young adult, The Return of Tarzan

The classic story of Jane Eyre reset in a steampunk world, complete with zephyr-ships, clockwork, and automatons in addition to the original romance and mystery! Written by Charlotte Brontë and originally published in 1847, these steampunk additions were imagined and added by R.A. Harding almost one hundred and seventy five years later. This speaks to the enduring quality of the book and the unmitigated moxie of one of its fans.Hear on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify.Preorder on publicworkssteampunk.com, Amazon or where ever you get your books! steampunk, audiobook, jane eyre, charlotte bronte, history chicks

Categories: Arts, Fiction

Tags: audiobook, Charlotte Brontë, classic literature, gaslamp, Jane Air, Jane Eyre, listen to Jane Eyre, steampunk

The Gift of the Magi is an O. Henry short story in which a young couple are very much in love with each other but can barely afford their one-room apartment. For Christmas, they each make a sacrifice to purchase a gift for the other, with ironic results. The moral of the story is that physical possessions, however valuable they may be, are of little value in the grand scheme of things. The true unselfish love that the characters, Jim and Della, share is greater than their possessions. O. Henry ends the story by clarifying the metaphor between the characters in the story, Della and James (or Jim), and the Biblical Magi. The Gift of the Magi features O. Henry’s characteristic twist ending and use of flowery diction.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, O. Henry, Short stories, The Gift of the Magi

If you’ve watched and loved Winona Ryder playing the innocent May Welland in the 1993 film adaptation of Edith Wharton’s sweeping novel about class-consciousness in nineteenth century America, you will certainly enjoy reading the original. Though Martin Scorcese’s brilliant work was certainly true to the spirit of the original novel, no film can reproduce the charm of language and turn of phrase employed by one of America’s greatest writers. The Age of Innocence was Edith Wharton’s 12th novel and is located in familiar Wharton territory. The genteel snobbery of the upper classes with its underlying cruelty and heartless judgments passed on those who cross the line is wonderfully depicted in The Age of Innocence. The story opens at a glittering music concert, featuring the wonderful opera singer Christine Nilsson singing Faust at the Music Academy in New York. In the high-society club boxes, the leading lights of New York society train their opera glasses on the crowd, occasionally throwing a sniping remark or two. Newland Archer, a young, handsome, wealthy lawyer whose privileged background is matched only by that of his new fiancée, May Welland. As the self satisfied and complacent Archer surveys the crowd in the opera theater, he overhears two men gossiping about a lady who has just entered a nearby opera box. She is Ellen Olenska, the recent widow of a Polish count, who had shocked society a few years earlier by first marrying a complete outsider and then running away from him to live alone in various cities across Europe. For Archer, the issue is complicated by the fact that Ellen is his beloved May’s first cousin. What follows has a devastating impact on the lives of everyone who is connected with the cousins. The story traces the roots of social prejudices and is an absolutely frank and fearless look at the hypocrisy, double standards and betrayals that people indulge in, in the name of “good form.” The Age of Innocence is filled with memorable characters like the elderly gossip Sillerton Jackson, who is not just considered to be an authority on “families” but also possesses an indelible memory about every single scandal and mystery that has occurred in the claustrophobic Manhattan society of the day. The Age of Innocence won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 and takes its title from a famous eighteenth century English painting by Joshua Reynolds. It was initially serialized in 1920 in the Pictorial Review magazine, but later compiled into a book and published in the following year. As a ruthless and bitter commentary on the social mores of the day, The Age of Innocence is certainly an insightful book to enjoy.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edith Wharton, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Age of Innocence

One dark and stormy night, a stranger arrives in West Sussex at a village inn. He is heavily clad in an overcoat and his face is wrapped in bandages. He takes a room at the inn, but refuses to socialize with anyone. He stays cooped up in his room all day and night, working with strange chemicals and apparatus. Suddenly, strange events begin to happen in the village. Mysterious burglaries and fires break out, culminating in a destructive rampage across the peaceful countryside. The stranger is the keeper of a terrible secret… The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance (to give the book its full title) by HG Wells was published in 1897. Written in novella form, this bizarre science fiction tale was first published in Pearson’s Weekly as a serial and later compiled into a single book. Based on scientific theories of optics and physics, this story instantly caught the imagination of readers and has been regularly adapted to film, television and radio since it first made its appearance more than a hundred years ago. Herbert George Wells’ writing career owes itself to an accident suffered in childhood. As an eight year old boy, he was once confined to bed with a broken leg. His father, a professional cricketer and failed businessman, regularly brought him books from the local library so that he could pass the time. His father’s financial troubles compelled his mother to go to work as a lady’s maid in a local mansion, while the children were put to work as apprentices with various local tradesmen. For Wells, this was one of the most unhappy, yet also the most profitable times in his life. The mansion where his mother worked had an enormous library where the child continued to read and educate himself. At eighteen, he went to work as a teacher in a residential school. His career flourished after that, and he won a scholarship to work under the great biologist, Thomas Huxley in London. He began writing science fiction stories in 1895 with the publication of The Time Machine, where he proposed the concept of selective time travel. Several other extremely popular Sci-Fi novels and short stories followed, interspersed with romantic stories, novels, ghost stories, film scripts, articles, satirical novels, historical and political treatises and non-fiction papers. Wells was an extremely prolific writer and continues to inspire generations of writers even today. The Invisible Man is a book that evokes great interest among readers of all ages and is an important landmark in the history of Sci-Fi writing. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, H. G. Wells, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, The Invisible Man

Harry Houdini, master illusionist and contortionist, unmasks the various ways that criminals take advantage of their victims.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Harry Houdini, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, The Right Way to Do Wrong

Lytton Strachey’s first great success, and his most famous achievement, was “Eminent Victorians” (1918), a collection of four short biographies of Victorian heroes. With a dry wit, he exposed the human failings of his subjects and what he saw as the hypocrisy at the centre of Victorian morality. This work was followed in the same style by “Queen Victoria” (1921). More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Lytton Strachey, Non-fiction, Queen Victoria

From the dawn of human consciousness, dreams have always fascinated us. Do they mean something? Do dreams help us see into the future? These questions have intrigued us for centuries. Sigmund Freud was one of the first people to examine dreams seriously and interpret them in the context of our waking lives. In Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners, the Austrian psychoanalyst, Dr Sigmund Freud shares his exciting early discoveries that there was indeed a connection between his patients’ dreams and their mental disturbances. Sigmund Freud was educated to be a neurologist, but went on to revolutionize the world of human psychology by establishing the theories of psychoanalysis. This is a clinical therapeutic method for dealing with mental disturbances. He considered dreams as extra information that the patient was unable to convey to the analyst during the waking state. Dream Psychology, first published in 1921, and translated by MD Eder, is a definitive work which changed the climate of treatments and handling of different neuroses and dysfunctional people. The book is divided into nine chapters. In many of them, Freud uses his own dreams as subjects for interpretation, while in others, he uses his patients’ dreams to elucidate his theories of psychoanalysis. While some of the theories may no longer be relevant or valid in today’s world, this book is indeed one of the foundation stones of Freudian psychoanalysis and marked a water-shed in the attitude towards dreams. He refuted the purely medical and purely spiritual interpretations that had been prevalent till then and proposed a completely new theory. Some of the most interesting parts of the book deal with symbols and language in dreams. Freud developed a standard system of symbols and their actual meaning based on his studies and used it to interpret and decode what his patient was really thinking and conveying. Many of the dreams he recounts were analyzed in the context of Victorian attitudes towards sexuality, repressed desires and unfulfilled wishes. By analyzing and understanding these dreams, Freud’s patients were able to get a better understanding of their underlying, unexpressed motives and this set them on the path to healing. We spend nearly one third of our lives sleeping and during some of that time we dream. Some dreams are vivid enough to be remembered, others are forgotten the moment we wake. This book is an interesting and thought-provoking read that appeals to both people interested in psychology and the casual reader. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dream Psychology, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Psychology, Sigmund Freud

John G. Nicolay was Abraham Lincoln’s private White House secretary. With assistant secretary, John Hay, he wrote the two volume definitive biography of Lincoln, “Abraham Lincoln, a Biography.” Although this is a condensation by Nicolay of that biography, it is still a sizable work and a fairly thorough treatment of the life of the 16th president of the United States.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln, audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, History, John George Nicolay, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

One of the first instances of science fiction, Wells’ classic tale published in 1986 examines various controversial philosophical issues active at the time of its publication, most notable being the implications of vivisection and degeneration. Narrated by its everyman protagonist Edward Prendick, the novel follows the events of his stay at a mysterious island, home to ghastly secrets, horrors, and incomprehensible experiences. Furthermore, the novel features innovative themes which have become iconic in the modern science fiction genre, including moral and ethical responsibility, evolution, and man’s interference with the course of nature. The novel begins when Edward Prendick, an educated gentleman is shipwrecked in the middle of nowhere, and is taken aboard a passing ship where he is revived by a man later introduced as Montgomery. The man explains to Prendick that he is headed to a private island where he works, along with the animals on the ship. While on board, Prendick also meets a gruesome brute by the name of M’ling, whom he believes to be Montgomery’s manservant. When Montgomery reaches his destination he initially refuses to accommodate Prendick after the captain demands he leave the ship, but later takes pity on his bleak circumstance and agrees to put him up. The protagonist is subsequently introduced to the cold and intense Dr. Moreau, whom Prendick recognizes as a former distinguished physiologist in London, whose horrific experiments in vivisection had been publicly exposed. Prendick is housed in an outer room of the enclosed compound, and is cautiously locked out of the inner part. Conquered by curiosity, he decides to explore the jungle where he comes face to face with a startling figure that marks the beginning of his task to unearth the shocking truth behind the segregated island and its beastly population. The Island of Dr. Moreau brilliantly intrigues readers with its generous serving of ingenuity, abominable imagery and chilling hypothesis of the possible dangers of scientific progression. A literary classic, the novel imposes many ethical questions still relevant to modern society, and certain to provoke reaction.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, animals, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, H. G. Wells, Horror/Ghost stories, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult, The Island of Dr. Moreau

First published in 1919 under his pseudonym Clive Hamilton, Spirits in Bondage, is also the first published book by the notorious novelist C.S. Lewis. This early piece of work represents Lewis’ youth, as it was written at a time when the author had just returned from his military service in the First World War. In addition it differentiates itself from his other works, not just in terms of style, but also in themes due to his agnostic stand at the time. Written in the form of poetry, the piece is divided into three sections of poetry, each intended to be read in chronological order to gain complete access to its themes and ideas. Divided into three parts, each provides a distinctive set of ideas, which all essentially come together to create a masterful poetical result. The poems are prominently concerned with Lewis’ world views dominated by his bitter outrage with the notion of God, although he does subtly appear to yearn for some sort of spiritual fulfillment and balance. Furthermore, the poetry offers strong imagery and descriptive language, used to highlight his unconvinced perception of a higher power. Interestingly though, the notion of dualism appears, as the author uses bitter irony as a tool to criticize the existence of God, yet he is quite open to acknowledge God for the purpose of blaming him for the asperity of the world. A slightly different book by one the most prominent lay theologians, Lewis offers a public view of his personal journey as he travels down the road of agnosticism and firmly clutches on to his pessimistic attitude towards God and religion. Addressing the atrocities of war, with an emphasis on grief and loss, the poetry reflects an honest output depicting a chapter in the author’s life. Nevertheless, an intriguing insight into his early career as a writer, the book is an essential to anyone who wishes to acquaint themselves with a rather surprisingly blasphemous piece of literature.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, C.S. Lewis, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, poetry, Spirits in Bondage: a cycle of lyrics

In 1992, Dr. Darius Shahrokh, a retired physician-surgeon, recorded some deepening talks upon the insistence of friends in his Bahá’í Community. Each program in this series is the result of months of study of resources in both English and Persian. Some consider Windows to the Past to be stories, but it should be remembered that the stories are not intended to be entertainment, but to inform, elucidate, and inspire the listener. The programs have relevant stories purposefully placed to lighten the concentration or emphasize a point.Windows to the Past has been praised by listeners who state that the series is packed with information and inspiration and presented in a style that holds attention.

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dr. Darius Shahrokh, ebooks, free audio books, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, religion, Self Published, Windows to the Past

The first of two books that he wrote on golfing themes, The Clicking of Cuthbert by PG Wodehouse sparkles with typical Wodehousian wit, humor and general goofiness! An avid golfer himself, Wodehouse published the ten stories in this volume in 1922. In 1924, an American edition titled Golf Without Tears was published. Since then it has enjoyed undimmed popularity among both Wodehouse fans and golfing enthusiasts. Nine of the stories contained in this book are narrated by the Oldest Member, a character who has become a cult figure among Wodehouse fans. He is a nameless character who is perennially seated on the terrace of a nameless golf club somewhere in England. An Ancient Mariner-like figure, the Oldest Member is ever eager to engage others in conversation and relate a pithy story from his boundless experience. Every story is a gem and peppered with memorably funny characters. What is so delightful about The Clicking of Cuthbert is that you don’t really need to be a golfer to appreciate these stories. Of course they are liberally sprinkled with technical terms, but for the uninitiated reader, this is a great opportunity to get familiar with this very popular sport. Terms and jargon may have altered a little since the book was published, but nothing distracts from the humor and hilarity! Three of the stories have been adapted to film and many of them were published in different journals like the Saturday Evening Post, The Strand Magazine and Collier’s. Most of the stories concern sentimental dilemmas that the hero/heroine are embroiled in. The tales are couched in some of the most entertaining and enjoyable turns of phrase ever to be found in the English language and you’ll often find yourself bursting out aloud into laughter as you read – and continuing to smile long after you’ve put the book down! Fun for the entire family!

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Comedy, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, P. G. Wodehouse, The Clicking of Cuthbert

A woman in prison awaiting a death sentence is given a reprieve because she is pregnant. She migrates to America abandoning the baby to the care of a foster mother. The child, a girl, grows up and begins working as a servant in a wealthy household. Here she is pursued by the two sons of the house and ultimately marries the younger one. When he dies, leaving her with two young children to look after, she begins a life of deception and confidence trickery which ends in great tragedy and disgrace. In her old age, events take a less tragic turn and her redemption comes from sources she least expects. First published in 1762, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe is not as well known as his most famous novel, Robinson Crusoe. However, it gained enormous popularity as a social and psychological document of the traditions, customs and manners of the eighteenth century, and was reputed to be based on a true story. The full title of the book is almost a mini-synopsis! The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu’d Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a ——, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv’d Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums. Peopled with a collection of interesting characters, the book is thought-provoking and unusually bold for its time, with the heroine being quite different from the good, chaste, long-suffering lady of that era. However, her boundless optimism, strength, self-assertiveness and matter-of-fact shrewdness are attractive in their own way. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Daniel Defoe, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, romance, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

Stories from 1896 to 1901. Lucy Maud Montgomery was born at Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island, Canada, on November 30, 1874. She achieved international fame in her lifetime, putting Prince Edward Island and Canada on the world literary map. Best known for her “Anne of Green Gables” books, she was also a prolific writer of short stories and poetry. She published some 500 short stories and poems and twenty novels before her death in 1942. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: 1896 to 1901, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, romance, Sea stories, Short stories, Teen/Young adult

At one time Race Cargill had been the best Terran Intelligence agent on the complex and mysterious planet of Wolf. He had repeatedly imperiled his life amongst the half-human and non-human creatures of the sullen world. And he had repeatedly accomplished the fantastic missions until his name was emblazoned with glory. But that had all seemingly ended. For six long years he’d sat behind a boring desk inside the fenced-in Terran Headquarters, cut off there ever since he and a rival had scarred and ripped each other in blood-feud. But when THE DOOR THROUGH SPACE swung suddenly open, the feud was on again—and with it a plot designed to check and destroy the Terran Empire. (Original book blurb)

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Marion Zimmer Bradley, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult, The Door Through Space